LYNN — Hundreds of athletes come through Lynn’s Agganis Athletic Complex to utilize the turf fields at Fraser and Manning each year. That’s especially true during the fall seasons where getting Manning ready for football and soccer games becomes the primary focus for facilities manager Rich Avery and his staff.
“I don’t even know the exact number of games we have here every fall,” Avery said. “We host games for all five high schools and it’s not only their varsity teams but the JV games too. We have youth football on the weekends. It’s tough to fit it all in.”
Dozens of teams from St. Mary’s, English, Classical, Tech and KIPP all call Manning Field home during the fall and when new sports get added that number continues to grow.
“It’s usually the busiest season of the year, for sure,” Avery said. “With all five football teams in Lynn and boys and girls soccer that’s a lot of games. This year St. Mary’s also added a field hockey team. We worked on fitting them in and it was pretty successful.”
Making sure the facilities are in tip top shape isn’t something that happens overnight but it helps having a reliable staff.
“I have a great staff and working with the DPW is great,” Avery, who’s entering his fourth fall as facilities manager, said. “We’re lucky. Setting up and figuring out the scheduling gets a little tricky sometimes.
“When I took over for John Kasian in 2016 a lot of the staff he had hired stayed on board,” Avery said. “It made things a lot easier. They all do a great job and have a lot of knowledge of the grounds. I’ve learned a lot from them and they’ve helped make things run smoothly.”
Avery’s priorities include keeping the fields and facilities clean and ready for both players and fans, to name a few.
“We keep the place pretty clean,” Avery said. “I hire a cleaning crew that comes in three or four days a week. The turf is obviously getting a little old with all the use over the years, but we try to keep it as good as we can. We put in a lot of work making it the best it can be.”
Friday night football games can draw in a big crowd. And when the state tournament rolls around, boys and girls soccer games become a staple at Manning Field.
“We usually host the North bracket for boys and girls soccer,” Avery said. “(St. Mary’s Athletic Director) Jeff Newhall has been instrumental in getting those games here. Teams come from all over for those games. We’re always treating visiting teams well. We try to be really hospitable and make them feel like it’s a home game as best we can.”
With teams coming from all over the state this fall it gives Avery a chance to show what Lynn has to offer at its facilities.
“They see the first-class facility,” Avery said. “Just the soccer games alone draw in a lot of people that aren’t from around here. During some of the night games we turn on the lights for Fraser Field to and show off both fields. A lot of people have never been here and they come in and are shocked. I’ve had so many people tell me they can’t believe we have this great facility in Lynn.”
